Plymouth, Hennepin County • No park pass needed French Regional Park has a great system of hiking trails, much of which is turf and dirt. The official name of this park is Clifton E. French Regional Park. That’s a mouthful to say—so most people don’t. But we don’t want to forget Mr. French’s huge role …
Maple Grove/Hennepin County • No fee Fish Lake Regional Park offers both paved and natural-surface hiking opportunities. You have your choice of 3+ miles of hikes through the woods, next to the lake, over hills and along the marshes. I chose a day in late October that happened to coincide with an archery hunt at …
Plymouth, Hennepin County • No fee French Regional Park is a biking hub. It hosts trails within the park itself, as well as connections to two major regional trails. About the Bike Trails in French Park While there are technically just 4.6 miles of paved bike trails in French Regional Park, it’s easy to go …
Maple Grove/Hennepin County • No fee Fish Lake Regional Park is part of the Three Rivers Park District. There are 3 miles of very scenic paved bike trails here through the woods and next to Fish Lake. Whether a destination by itself or a stop-over when you bike on the Medicine Lake Regional Trail, this …
Brooklyn Park, Hennepin County • No fee Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park West (soon to be Mississippi Gateway Regional Park) is a great place to launch your canoe or kayak for a paddle on the Mississippi River. What Makes Coon Rapids Dam West a Great Place to Paddle Unlike it’s namesake across the River, this …
Read morePaddle the Mississippi in Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park [West]
Brooklyn Park, Hennepin County • No fee Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park—the West version, that is—is soon to become Mississippi Gateway Regional Park. How soon, we don’t know. But it’ll be a welcome change to avoid confusion between this park and the one by the same name directly across on the east side of the …
Maple Grove, Hennepin County • No park pass needed We couldn’t have picked a more beautiful day to hike at Elm Creek. The fall colors were simply stunning. But as we know, there’s beauty in every season here in Minnesota, so don’t wait for fall! What You’ll Find at Elm Creek Elm Creek Park Reserve …
Maple Grove/Champlin, Hennepin County • No fee Biking Elm Creek’s Paved Trails With 20 miles of paved trails open to bikers, you have plenty to choose from. Rolling hills, woods, prairie, wetlands—a variety of terrain and scenery makes this a top choice in the northern Twin Cities metro. These photos were obviously taken in the …